My Maths Buddy makes maths easy for learners
This country is probably one of the worst countries in terms of standard of mathematics in the western world.
“Most of the learners from all over South Africa have found it difficult to understand mathematics as a subject, not necessarily because the subject is difficult but because the terms used in the learning area are difficult for learners to understand,” said Paul Sondergaard, co-author of the book My Maths Buddy.
He said My Maths Buddy is a friend of all learners who are struggling with mathematics.
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“With dictionaries that explain all the difficult terms in maths, the book was specially designed to make the learning area very easy for learners,” Sondergaard said.
To complicate the educational problem, our economy is in dire straits and politics in turmoil. Yet learners still need to get to school, learn mathematics and enter a competitive job market where skills are essential to placement.
The My Maths Buddy One Book One Learner Project, an initiative of the South African Mathematics Foundation, has taken up the challenge of bringing our maths standards out of the doldrums and up to an acceptable level.
On July 11, the Grade Five learners of Sekgutlong Primary School in Katlehong took part in this effective programme which is focused on bringing a greater understanding in mathematics.
The workshops, as well as 170 My Maths Buddy dictionaries, were sponsored by CompAir SA and distributed to the learners to ensure the learners of this school get the boost they need.
CompAir SA has been sponsoring the Grade Five learners and maths teachers at the school since 2016 and the programme has had a positive impact on the school’s maths results, where before they started with this project only 12 per cent of the learners were passing maths. Now, as a result of My Maths Buddy, the pass rate is consistently 100 per cent, and the target is not passing but to have all learners get above 50per cent average.
“When you understand something really well, it is unlikely that you will fail at it,” said Sondergaard.
The sole aim of the project is to up the understanding of the language of maths and thereby maths results in schools. The project, to date, has workshopped over 3 000 maths teachers and more than 12 000 learners across South Africa, showing an amazing average of 14 per cent increase in results in approximately six months.
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The learners’ response to the project was of great excitement and they now realised they can do well in maths.
The evaluation now begins after the provision of the books and workshops and again, new hope is brought to learners that they can succeed in maths and be able to enter the workforce and enter professional careers as a result of improvement of their maths results.
For more information on the project visit www.1book1learner.org
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